Gaming addiction has been listed as a mental condition called ‘gaming disorder’.
Gaming disorder according to Wikipedia is a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behaviour online or offline.
It is manifested by impaired control over gaming, increasing the priority given to gaming to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.
Advertisement
This was listed in the new classification by the World Health Organisation (WHO) released on Monday.
The classification resulted after a WHO representative estimated two to three percent of video game players and showed they meet the criteria for gaming disorder.
“For gaming disorder to be diagnosed, the behaviour pattern must be of sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning,” WHO said.
However, the American Psychiatric Association has questioned the classification stating that the organisation has no “sufficient evidence” to consider gaming addiction as a “unique mental disorder”.